Godric Gryffindor and the Goblet of Fire
by Ithiarel
Summary: A day before the champions for the Triwizard Tournament are chosen, the four founders of Hogwarts appear at the school. Attempting to find out what has gone wrong with Rowena's new "relocation"-spell, they run into Harry, Neville, Luna, and Draco...
1. The Prologue

_A while ago, I got challenged by RogueNya (over at Reading the HP Books) to write an RtB fic with the Hogwarts Founders in it._

_Since I enjoyed reading Isilarma's Founders Fic I decided to try my hand at one, too. This will be my very first Harry Potter Fanfic, so consider yourselfs warned._  
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**Prologue (involving the headmaster of Hogwarts and some meddling...)**

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It had been an exhausting day, Albus Dumbledore reflected as he set down the empty cup of his nightcap. Although he would never admit it to anyone, occasionally keeping up his good cheer got tiresome. He stood up, the fingertips of his right hand still resting lightly on the wooden surface of his desk. He closed his eyes and wondered for the dozenth time in as many months if he was finally growing old. The tired silence spreading through his office was finally broken by the rustling of Fawkes' wings as the phoenix changed into a more comfortable sleeping position. The portraits of former headmasters had already fallen silent half an hour before. They knew that Dumbledore preferred a few minutes of quietness before going to bed.

Albus Dumbledore turned his head to his familiar. "Good night, Fawkes"

The bright red phoenix merely huffed in answer.

The headmaster took off his glasses with one hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose with the other one. He felt rather tired. Then he began the arduous climb up the hidden staircase that led into his personal quarters. Behind him, the candles illuminating the Headmaster's Office died down with a sizzle.

While he changed out of his robes into his nightshirt he amused himself thinking about what the next day might bring. Contrary to what the had announced to the student body at dinner, he had taken a few more precautions than just a simple age line to protect the Goblet of Fire. And a part of him looked forward to the students trying to cross his ward. He knew that at least the Weasley twins would not be able to resist the temptation offered, and most likely other would try their luck, too. It was certain to become quite an hilarious breakfast tomorrow.

He pulled a thick pair of red woollen socks onto his feet and climbed into bed. Fluffing up his pillow for the night, his eyes fell on the pile of old tomes stacked up in the corner of his room. The small part of his mind, the one that usually sounded a lot like his brother Aberforth, whispered that he might have gone overboard, adding the old boosting ritual to his own age line around the Goblet of Fire. But, he told the voice, the Triwizard Tournament was a serious matter and exceedingly dangerous to the younger students. He couldn't take the chance of one of them outfoxing the age line – no matter how accidental their triumph might be. So, when he had found a ritual to strengthen other wards mentioned in one of the books he had removed from the library's restricted section, he couldn't stop himself from at least trying it out.

It hadn't been complicated. As far as he could see, all it had done was to link his own age line to the castle's wards, so that the line around the Goblet of Fire would be powered by the magic of Hogwarts itself instead of his own, thereby greatly reducing the chance of someone overpowering the ward by sheer force. He had wondered absently why he had never thought about trying to do something like that before. The theory was sound. The ingredients needed for the rite were easy to obtain. The hardest part of the ritual had been to write the correlation spell. Magic this old often worked by comparing the desired end result with another, already existing, state of affairs, and more than once in his life Albus Dumbledore had been brought down to his knees by it. He was no great poet. And designing a useful comparison spell for this special case had brought that fact home once again, when he had brooded over the words and for one highly disconcerting moment wished for Gilderoy Lockhart's assistance. The memory alone made Albus Dumbledore shudder, and he forced himself to ponder a different topic. He mentally recapitulated his tasks for the coming day. He would have to have another talk with Madame Maxime and Headmaster Karkaroff regarding the arrangements for the visiting students from their schools during the tournament, and check in with Charles Weasley on the containment possibilities of the dragons. Severus had complained about Alastor searching his private quarters again, so Albus figured he should probably have a talk with his old friend about the boy's privacy. Then, there was Ludo Bagman who needed to be kept entertained, and, of course, he would need to keep a close eye on the age line. He wouldn't want to miss any of the fun that would ensue.

Smiling contently, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, proclaimed to be the greatest wizard of his time, blew out the candle on his bed stand, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

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please r/r


	2. Meeting the Founders

_Thanks to Kuma in Pink for her motivational support, and to Eskimorock for correcting some awkward sentences and outright mistakes. _

_You are both great. You know that, right?_

_AN: This is a somewhat reworked version of the same chapter posted on yourFF. I simply strengthened the Founder's accents a bit, so that they would sound more like they do in the second chapter._

_._

**Chapter 01 – Meeting the Founders**

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Harry fiddled nervously with the invisibility cloak. It was so typical for him that it would get caught on a door handle, just when he was sneaking through one of the more often controlled areas of Hogwarts Castle.

"Harry?"

The whisper carried loudly through the empty hallway.

Harry jumped nearly a foot into the air in shock. Then, he twisted around, pulling the cloak away from the door handle with a strong tug. If he had been seen, it really wouldn't matter much. He pulled the cloak closer around him and shuffled as quietly as he dared across the hallway. Only when he crouched safely in the shadow of a statue did he dare to look at the person who had called him out. He stared in surprise.

"Neville?"

Harry let the cloak fall down from his head and became visible again. He saw Neville staring at him wide eyed in the dark.

"What are you doing here?" Harry whispered.

Neville shrugged with an embarrassed look on his face.

"I just... I..."

Harry took another step towards him. "What?"

Neville breathed deeply before answering: "I couldn't sleep." Then, he stared at his slippers and mumbled: "I just wanted to take another look."

"At the Goblet of Fire?"

Silently, Harry wondered how he could have missed Neville's bed being empty when he had sneaked out of the dormitory earlier. "Oh, Neville."

Neville squared his shoulders defiantly. "What are _[i]you[/i]_ doing out here then?" he asked.

Harry felt himself blush and hoped that it was too dark for Neville to see it. He thought about possible excuses but found he couldn't lie. Not after Neville had already brought up the truth. Harry hung his head.

"Yeah", he admitted quietly, "I wanted to take another look at it, too."

When he lifted his gaze up from the floor, he saw Neville looking relieved at him. They shuffled their feet in embarrassed silence.

"So?" Neville finally broke it. "What now?"

"What?"

"Are you going back to the dorm?"

Harry blinked. He noticed for the first time how near they already were to the Grand Staircase. He felt like hitting himself for his carelessness. What if a teacher had noticed them standing so openly around in a hallway? And so near midnight at that?

"No." Harry said and strengthened his grip on the invisibility cloak. Then he looked back at Neville. "Come on", he added, "Since we're here now, let's take a look before going back."

Neville seemed uncertain for a moment. But then, he stepped closer and Harry pulled the cloak up over both their heads.

Together they made their way carefully down the grand staircase to the Entrance Hall, where they knew the Goblet of Fire stood waiting.

The bluish white flames dancing over the Goblet plunged Hogwarts' Entrance Hall into an eerie dance of light and deepest shadows. Harry and Neville crept forward carefully until they stood in the hall at the feet of the staircase.

"Wow!"

Harry turned to Neville and saw his own feelings of wonder mirrored on the other boy's face.

"Yeah", he said, "come on."

They walked closer to the large cup that had been placed on a stool in the middle of the hall. Harry felt himself inexplicably drawn towards the dancing flames, unable to turn his eyes from them.

"Harry! Wait!"

He stopped with a jerk when he felt Neville pulling on his hand.

"What?" Harry asked, annoyance colouring his voice.

Neville pointed at the ground in front of Harry's feet.

"There's the line, the headmaster mentioned."

Harry looked down and gasped in surprise. It was lucky that Neville had even noticed the thin golden line that formed a large circle on the floor, he thought. It was hardly noticeable in the semi-darkness of the Hall. Harry noticed that another step would have taken him clear across the line.

"Thanks", he mumbled in relief.

"Do you think someone will manage to trick it?" Neville asked. He stared down at the line curiously.

Harry shrugged. "Fred and George are going to try -"

Neville looked uncertain.

"- they said so after dinner."

"They'd be in so much trouble with the Headmaster." Neville shuddered.

"I don't think they care much." Harry grinned. "It would be amazing to win the Triwizard Tournament, though, wouldn't it?"

Neville shook his head vigorously. "I wouldn't want to try."

Harry stared at Neville. "Really?" he asked surprised.

"Yes", Neville stated emphatically. "the things my gran told me about the tournament..." He trailed off shuddering. "Of course, Gran would want me to participate if possible." He sighed.

Harry frowned.

"Well", he offered, "it's not as if we could participate this time."

The thought seemed to cheer Neville up.

"Yeah", the plump boy said. Then he looked back up at the Goblet of Fire. "It's really amazing, though, isn't it?"

Harry agreed wholeheartedly.

They stood beside each other, staring with rapt attention up into the spectacle of light, and quite forgot their surroundings. Neither gave a thought to the notion of being in trouble for being out after curfew; Until a groping hand pulled the invisibility cloak off them, and someone behind them cleared their throat cheerfully.

Harry felt himself freeze. He had trouble swallowing past the lump of sudden panic that had settled in his throat. Out of the corners of his eyes he saw Neville staring ahead with a scared look frozen on his face. He mentally berated himself for being so careless. Caught out of bed by a teacher. In front of the Goblet of Fire. With an invisibility cloak. Harry closed his eyes. And with his luck it would be Snape who caught them. At least someone would have fun with this, Harry reflected sardonically.

"Now, _thass_ a real masterpiece", a male voice commented from behind them, in a thick accent Harry could not place.

He spun around in trepidation, but at the same time feeling oddly relieved that he would not have to justify himself to Snape at this time of night. Beside him, Neville followed his example but kept his gaze resolutely on the tips of his fluffy slippers.

Harry stared curiously at the wizard in front of them. He was certain that he had never seen the man before at Hogwarts. _Maybe he's someone from the Ministry_, he thought. There would obviously be more people than just Mr Bagman and Mr Crouch helping out with the Triwizard Tournament.

"What dew yew think?" The wizard asked and handed Harry's invisibility cloak off to a woman hovering in the shadows. She took the cloak with an inquisitive expression. Harry bit his lips to stop himself from scowling. He didn't like it when other people touched his cloak.

The wizard must have noticed his frown though, because the man addressed Harry again with a vaguely amused look. "I think yew two should know better than t' sneak 'round at night, shant yew?"

Harry forced himself to nod, while never taking his eyes off his cloak as the woman turned it this way and that way, inspecting it closely.

A finger was flicked against his forehead and Harry napped his head back around to stare startled at the wizard. He felt himself blush.

The man's lips twitched slightly underneath the beard covering his chin and mouth. His eyes shone eerily grey in the flickering light of the Goblet of Fire. Harry thought fleetingly that Mrs Weasley would have seen the man's long hair as a personal affront on one of her sons.

"I wunt let her keep it", the man assured him earnestly. "Promise."

He raised an eyebrow as if daring Harry to contradict him.

Harry blinked. Then, he pressed his lips together and nodded. There wasn't much he could do after all.

"Good." The wizard smiled. "Now, I hev another question fur yew afore yew two go back t' bed."

"A question?" Harry felt stumped.

"Yes", the man straightened himself and half-turned towards the middle of the Entrance Hall, where the goblet stood flickering brightly. He wasn't nearly as tall as it had first seemed. But he was lanky, which, Harry thought, probably enforced the impression of tallness.

"Dew yew boys know what that there is?" The man pointed towards the Goblet of Fire.

Harry frowned. Was this a trick question? How could the man not know about the Goblet, he wondered. Seeking help, Harry turned to Neville, and felt bewildered to see his classmate gaping wide-eyed at the dark haired woman, who was still scrutinizing Harry's cloak.

"Yew listen, young man!"

Harry's head whipped around again. He took in the wizard's slightly annoyed expression as the man tugged a strand of dirty blond hair behind his ear. Harry's gaze travelled back and forth between the man and the Goblet.

Finally, he sighed, and answered: "That is the Goblet of Fire."

The wizard looked at him sharply. "And what's the purpose of the Goblet of Fire?"

Uncertain of where this line of questioning would lead to, but more than willing to go along with it, if it got himself and Neville out of trouble without loosing house points again, Harry decided that answering was the best idea. Besides, there was no way the man didn't already knew the answer to his question anyway. So there was no harm in answering, Harry thought.

"It's supposed to choose the champions of the Triwizard Tournament... Sir." he added, just to play it safe.

"Ah." The man nodded. "Well, that explains that then."

Harry heard the witch give an irritated sigh. With relief, he noticed that she had finally stopped fiddling around with his invisibility cloak and now held it carefully folded on her arm.

"Hae ye any idea what this Triwizard Tournament is, Salazar?" A slight reprimand echoed in her voice.

Harry gaped at her. Then, he snapped his eyes back to the man so fast, he felt slightly dizzy. The wizard called Salazar shrugged calmly.

"Well, no", he admitted, while Harry still tried to come to terms with the man's apparent name. "But that is a good starting point fur research. Dun't yew agree?"

Harry felt stupefied. The idea that parents could name their child that name boggled his mind. He heard Neville making a strangled sound beside him. A hand gripped Harry's own hand so hard, Harry thought he felt his bones grinding against each other.

The witch rolled her eyes and before Harry could fully process what he was doing, he had opened his mouth and heard himself say: "There is an entry about it in 'Hogwarts: A History'."

The witch's face lightened up with an amicable smile that formed surprisingly easily on her austere features. She nodded once at him while shooting a genial smile to the wizard named Salazar.

"Ah shall look into that." she said. "It sounds like a real good book."

Having never actually read it himself, Harry felt it best to keep quiet. He schooled his face into what he hoped was a polite and knowing look, all the while hoping fervently that she would not ask him anything further on the topic.

Neville was still tugging on his hand frantically.

When the woman turned to the wizard, and continued a murmured conversation with him, Harry wondered idly if they would be very angry if he and Neville used the chance to sneak back to the Gryffindor dormitory.

"Harry!" Neville's whisper was a harsh squeak.

"What?" Harry hissed back from the corner of his mouth. His mind was still working frantically, his eyes focused on the two adults who, considering their gestures, were obviously discussing something about the Goblet of Fire. Both moved over the age line with ease, Harry noticed. But of course, they would, he chided himself. The line was supposed to keep underage students out; not adults. Harry was so preoccupied with his own thoughts, that he nearly missed Neville's next breathless whisper.

"Rowena Ravenclaw", Neville stammered. "That is Rowena Ravenclaw."

It took Harry a moment to realise what his classmate was telling him. Then, he turned his head slowly to Neville and stared at him. Neville's face was flushed brightly red with excitement and admiration.

"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded.

"That!" Neville jerked his head in the direction of the two adults. "That is Rowena Ravenclaw." He breathed her name out with longing and looked as if he might start to hyperventilate.

Harry felt stunned.

"What?" He turned to take a first good look at the dark haired witch, whose thick Scottish accent drifted through the Entrance Hall, strongly reminding Harry of Professor McGonagall. "You're kidding, right?"

Neville shook his head emphatically. "No. I'm sure." He swallowed compulsively. "My uncle has a portrait of her in his library. I'm sure," he repeated. "It's Rowena Ravenclaw!" He made a choking sound.

Harry felt his mouth dry. He shook his head. "That's impossible, Neville."

Absently, Harry wondered whom he was trying to reassure more, himself or Neville. Because, if for some unfathomable reason, Neville turned out to be right, than that would mean... Harry stared hard at the wizard, trying to see any similarities between him and the statue in the Chamber of Secrets. It was difficult. The statue of Salazar Slytherin showed an old man, while the wizard in front of him seemed to be somewhere in his thirties. Harry couldn't suppress a shudder.

He was still trying to come to terms with the possibility of Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin speaking in hushed voices in the middle of Hogwarts' Entrance Hall, when both adults suddenly turned towards him and Neville. It can't be, Harry told himself. It must be some kind of publicity stunt for the tournament.

"Did yew hev t' bring the whole library?" the wizard who was, Harry decided, most definitely not Salazar Slytherin, asked amusedly.

"And how is it", added the witch who looked like Rowena Ravenclaw, "that ye brought students along?"

Harry blinked and realised belatedly that both were looking straight past his shoulder, and thus obviously not speaking to him at all.

"These are only two of those we saw sneaking around."

Harry turned around and felt his eyes widen at the sight of a broad-shouldered man. Long hair fell in auburn waves onto his shoulders, and Harry could see his disapproving frown even behind a shaggy full beard. Beside him stood, nearly a head shorter, a plump but shapely woman with a shock of curly ginger hair. She was wearing a simple old-fashioned dress, where the man was clad in a reddish tunic and a dark brown cloak. Harry didn't have to look at Neville to know that he was gaping at these new additions just as Harry himself was.

"Since we had already caught them", the woman said in a Welsh accent, "there was no reason not to have them help out."

She shifted a stack of books in her arms that Harry noticed only now. He blinked a few times and forcefully drew his eyes away from the woman and to the girl standing beside her. She had straggly, long, dirty blonde hair and was wearing a bright yellow nightshirt. Harry vaguely thought that he might have seen her before, but he couldn't remember what house or year she was in, much less what her name was. The girl wasn't much smaller than the red-headed woman, and she too was balancing a stack of bulky books in her arms.

"This young lady here", the woman smiled at the blonde girl, "we found in the library."

The girl looked surprised, but beamed at everyone.

"And this young man", the woman continued amused, "was lurking near the staircase to the dungeons. Watching you, he was."

Harry followed her nod to her other side, and swallowed a curse. Of course, it would be Malfoy. Who else could it have been? A closer look at his nemesis revealed him to be rather ruffled. Malfoy was holding on to yet another stack of books and gaped wide-eyed at the people around him.

Harry fought down a hysterical giggle. The whole situation was completely surreal. Here he was, standing in the Hogwarts Entrance Hall, after curfew, in the company of Neville, Malfoy, and the four Founders of Hogwarts. Because that was what those four adults were meant to be, he understood with a jolt. If the two behind him were Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw, then it followed that the two in front of him would be Helga Hufflepuff and Godric Gryffindor. He swallowed convulsively.

Behind him, he heard an irritated sigh.

"We, too, have noticed a fair number of students in the hallways when they should be in bed."

Turning halfway around, so that he could keep his eyes on all the four adults, Harry watched the dark haired witch exchange a severe look with the auburn haired wizard.

The man took his cue and looked sternly at Harry and the other students. "And why would that be?" the wizard asked. "The rules cannot have changed so much as to allow thee free roam at nighttime."

His bright green eyes seemed to pierce into them, before coming to rest on Harry, who shuffled his feet, unsure how to explain himself to the man. Even if he wasn't the real Godric Gryffindor, Harry thought, he sure had the routine down.

The uncomfortable silence was broken by the blonde girl, who said in a dreamy voice: "Maybe they wanted to look at the Goblet again? Or find a way to trick it?"

Harry nodded along with her, but quickly changed to shaking his head at the second part. Luckily, the adults paid him little attention, instead gazing questioningly at the girl. With satisfaction, Harry noticed a faint blush on Malfoy's face.

It was the man portraying Salazar Slytherin, who first broke the silence. He ambled over to the girl, who beamed up at him with a slightly loony grin, and smiled jovially back at her.

"Thass a good reason", he acknowledged. "And why were yew in the library?"

From the corners of his eyes, Harry noticed the auburn haired man frown.

Concentrating completely on the wizard in front of her, the girl missed the others disapproval completely.

"I was searching for my transfiguration essay", she answered brightly, as if she had no real care in the world. "It must have gotten misplaced a few days ago. Usually, my homework reappears in time for me to hand it in, but this time it didn't. And I need to hand it in tomorrow right after breakfast", she continued earnestly, "so I thought, I'd better take a look now."

The plump witch beside her, shifted the books she was carrying onto her left arm, and put her right hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, my dear. But you shouldn't walk around at night. Also, searching by daylight makes finding much easier."

The girl nodded at the witch, as if she had parted with a piece of profound wisdom.

"And if you tell your teacher that the essay was merely misplaced", the woman continued, "they will allow you to hand it in later, I'm sure."

Privately, Harry thought this was a bit naïve. Obviously, he was not the only one.

"How'd they ken she actually wrote it, Helga?"

Harry feeling pleased at having his doubts confirmed, watched the plump witch smile broadly at the dark haired one.

"Oh, please", she smirked. "It is obvious that she is a real Ravenclaw."

The two wizards sniggered at the peeved look on the dark haired woman's face. Harry looked around at Neville, Malfoy and the unknown girl, and was pleased to see that neither of them seemed to have understood the joke either.

"So, what's yar name then, young lady?"

"Luna Lovegood." Harry looked back to the girl, no, to Luna Lovegood, who was still smiling brightly at the long haired wizard in front of her.

"That", the wizard told her with a charming smile, "is a great name, Luna Lovegood."

"Salazar!" the other man rebuked. He looked taken aback and quite a bit embarrassed. It took him a moment, but once Harry understood the innuendo, he felt himself blush. The lanky wizard blinked blankly at his companion.

"You are Professor Slytherin, yes?" Luna Lovegood frowned as if in deep thought.

"Salazar Slytherin", the man answered her. "And these are -"

"NO!"

Harry's brain had finally managed to push through the weirdness of the situation.

"No!" He repeated to the eerily quiet room. Denial coloured his voice.

"You can't be Salazar Slytherin!"

As the silence stretched, Harry became painfully aware of everyone staring at him.

"Why not?" The wizard was clearly taken aback, and his voice rang dumbfounded through the hall.

Harry grasped wildly for something to say. "Because... because... you're blond."

Hazily, he noticed the looks the others were giving him, ranging from blank to nonplussed to outright mystified. Harry wished that the floor would open up under his feet and swallow him.

"Have you lost your brain, Potter?"

Harry winced as Malfoy's sneer rang in his ears.

"This might take a while to clear up", the dark haired witch said smiling amusedly. "Ah propose that we relocate tae a more appropriate location for further discussion."

The other witch nodded energetically. Her red locks bounced. "Considering there might be more students sneaking around, that seems wise."

The auburn haired wizard sighed. "There used to be a small sitting room adjacent to the Great Hall. 'e should suit the purpose fine." He turned his look at the students. "Is that room still there?"

Harry watched Neville gape mutely at the adults, before he mirrored Malfoy's shrug.

"Never mind." The man said after a pause. "We shall find out."

He turned towards the doors leading into the Great Hall and pulled out a gleaming, reddish brown wand from somewhere under his cloak. He gave a wave and a small orange light glowed at the tip of it, illuminating the long desks in the Great Hall.

Harry saw the plump witch motion Malfoy to follow the wizard into the Hall. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, as the dark haired witch walked passed him.

"Come."

As Harry made to follow her, he heard the lanky wizard mumble. "Blond?"

Harry blushed. He felt the man's baffled look on him. As he brushed passed with his eyes firmly on the ground, he heard Luna Lovegood tell the man earnestly: "I like blond."

From ahead of him, muted voices drifted though the Great Hall's open doors.

"Look, Rowena! You did manage to enchant the ceiling after all!"

"Ye cannae ken it was me", a thick Scottish brogue answered the Welsh voice. "It might hae been someone long past our time."

Harry entered the Great Hall.

"No...no, Ma'am", Neville stuttered, "It was you who did that." He kept staring at his feet, obviously to embarrassed to meet the women's eyes.

"Aye? Ah did?"

Neville swallowed nervously before nodding. "It's one of the great pieces of magic left from the original founding of Hogwarts."

Harry watched a strangely contented look cross the dark-haired witch's face.

"Hurry up, everyone!" The red-haired man's voice echoed loudly through the hall.

Harry saw the light illuminated at the end of his wand bobbing near the teacher's table. He and the others hurried to close up to him.

Harry followed the others through a door behind the staff table that he had never noticed before now.

In the dim light emitted from the broad man's wand, he could vaguely make out the many portraits of witches and wizards lining the small rooms walls. Beside him, Harry more felt than saw the dark-haired witch pull out her wand, too. She swished it in the direction of the fireplace, which was immediately filled with a bright fire. The additional light illuminated the room enough for Harry to see that it held nothing but the big fireplace, a small round table with a few chairs and a sheer incredible number of paintings.

He noticed the others looking around in equal fascination, while the faces in the portraits turned to stare at them in awe.

The dark haired witch then waved her wand again, this time in the general direction of the sitting area, and the candles around it immediately erupted into violent flames.

"I beg your pardon, Sir."

Harry twisted around in shock at the unknown voice speaking up behind him. His heart beating frantically, he noticed with relief that the grumbling voice seemed to have come from a portrait of a wizard straight behind him. The man's walrus moustache quivered in excitement.

Uncertain if he was meant or not, Harry looked around at the adults, only to find them staring in surprise and amazement at the portrait, each one clearly equally undecided on how to react. They exchanged startled looks with each other.

"Am I right to presume", the wizard in the portrait continued, clearly oblivious to the shock he had just given his visitors, "that I have the honour to meet Godric Gryffindor? Founder of Hogwarts School; descendent of Huwell, King of the West Welsh; and uncle of Godwyn, Duke of Cornwall?"

"Thou would presume right."

Harry blinked and turned his head. The auburn haired man beside him had drawn himself into a confident posture and looked a lot more regal than before. Harry swallowed. Suddenly he found it a good deal more difficult to hold on to his doubts about the man's proclaimed identity.

"And whom do I have the honour to address?" the man asked.

"Cadoc ap Wyllow", the wizard in the portrait bowed so deeply, the tips of his moustache disappeared behind the painting's frame, "14th Headmaster of Hogwarts School. It is safe to say that it is an even greater honour for me, Sire."

Harry stared blankly at the moustached wizard. He felt as if his brain had stopped working completely, and the sounds around him sounded strangely muted.

"Godric!"

The barked commanding tone snapped Harry out of his trance. He looked around himself, and saw the plump witch tapping her foot on the ground, arms still loaded with a pile of books, staring meaningfully at her friend. Behind her, the dark haired witch was tapping curiously at a painting, making its inhabitant twitch from one side of the frame to the other, while the blond man and Luna Lovegood watched her amusedly.

The auburn haired man, Godric, cleared his throat. "Ay", he mumbled looking around at the others, "I apologize."

Then, he turned back to the portrait of the heavily moustached wizard, and straightened his shoulders.

"Sir Cadoc", he said earnestly, "I would ask of thou and thy companions here the same as I have asked of thy companions in the library. Keep quiet about my presence here as well as that of my friends. 'e would prove problematic were we brought to public attention."

The wizard in the portrait nodded, obviously eager to help.

"The library?" Harry heard the blond man prompt.

"It seemed sensible", the welsh witch shrugged. She stepped over to the table and set the books she was carrying down with a thump. "The pictures in the library... they could move into each others frames. And they were so excited when they recognized Godric." She turned around to the blond man. "They seemed to share a certain fondness of gossiping, they did", she added in such a quiet voice that Harry had to strain his ears to hear her.

Harry saw the blond man's lips twitch and heard the dark haired witch sigh beside him. "That's just what the castle needed. An untold number of Godrics."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. The plump witch grinned broadly, and Harry wondered what he had missed again. He saw his own ignorance mirrored on Malfoy's and Neville's faces. Luna Lovegood was still staring blankly at a portrait, whose inhabitant stared back, concentrating equally hard. It seemed to Harry that the portrait might be losing. He saw it twitch.

"That coulda come in handy, though", the blond man's bemused voice drew Harry's gaze away from Luna's staring contest with the portrait.

The dark haired woman nodded reluctantly.

When the auburn haired wizard joined them, Harry noticed that he had tucked his wand out of sight. The man swept his hand out towards the table.

"Come. Sit. We shall discuss our situation without interruption." He nodded at Harry and the other students. "And, hopefully, we shall find a solution to our problem with these youngsters' help."

Harry saw the other adult roll their eyes. The dark haired witch had already sat down while the auburn man spoke. Harry saw a look of confusion flash across her face, while the other adults sat down, the plump woman exchanging a smile with the blond man.

Before Harry could move, Malfoy sprang into motion, dumbed the books he still carried onto the table and grabbed the chair between the dark haired witch and the blond wizard that Neville had also been reaching for. Malfoy shouldered Neville aside and sank down onto the chair. Recognizing that he had lost, Neville switched tactics and scrambled for the chair on the dark haired witch's other side. The woman didn't seem to notice, but Harry saw the blond man's eyes crinkle in amusement.

Harry hesitated. Although he had no inclination to sit beside the supposed Salazar Slytherin, he felt that it would be incredibly impolite to not take the seat nearest to himself.

Luna Lovegood sat her pile of books down on the table carefully. Then, she blinked at Harry with her blank eyes before she demonstratively sat down on the chair beside the blond wizard.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and happily sank down on a chair next to the plum witch who was stretching her legs out underneath the table. To his left, Godric Gryffindor sat down.

The table was so small, Harry's elbows threatened to touch those of the two adults beside him. It was also completely covered by the piles of books, so that he could only see the top of Malfoy's head from where the Slytherin sat, opposite him.

"Now then... where do we start?" Gryffindor asked.

The dark haired witch pushed one book in front of each one of them with efficient movements. "Start by looking for any information on the Goblet of Fire that ye can find." She ordered. "Dinna dismiss anything. Whatever ye find might be helpful."

The two men resignedly reached for the books she had shoved in front of them. To his right, Harry watched Luna Lovegood open the one lying before her. She did so with a lot more enthusiasm than the blond wizard beside her.

"The Goblet of Fire?" the plump witch asked. Harry saw that unlike the men, she had made no move towards the book in front of her.

"That's what Mr. … Potter, yes?" The dark haired witch looked at Harry over the table, and Harry nodded in confirmation. "What Mr. Potter said the artefact wis called."

"Rowena, luv, we should introduce ourselves fitty first", the auburn haired man beside Harry said, his hands lying heavily on the closed book in front of him.

The dark haired woman send him a withering look that made clear that she thought introduction were a waste of time. But then she sighed, closed her own book again, and demonstratively folded her hands on top of it. The man chose to ignore her in favour of turning towards Harry and his fellow students.

"As ye have heard, I am Godric Gryffindor of Tintagle. These are my companions - the Lady Rowena Ravenclaw of Inverness..." The dark haired woman jerked her head once in acknowledgement. "... Helga Hufflepuff of Gwynedd..." The woman on Harry's right side gave a brilliant smile, her ginger locks frizzing around her round face. "... and Salazar Slytherin of the Norfolk fens." The man opposite Harry tugged a strand of long dirty blonde hair back behind his ear.

Harry felt, he should say something in return, but before he could bring himself to open his mouth, Malfoy was already speaking.

The white-haired Slytherin had turned to the blond man sitting beside him, his customary sneer curiously absent. Instead, Harry thought, he looked a lot like Ron had watching Victor Krum at dinner.

"Sir", Malfoy stuttered, "I want to say, Sir, that it's an honour to meet you, Sir."

The blond Salazar Slytherin – Harry just could not get over the hair colour, he knew it was petty, but still... – looked at Malfoy with a raised eyebrow before nodding slowly in apparent acceptance.

Before he could say something, though, the plump woman – Helga Hufflepuff, Harry reminded himself – interrupted. "We've already been introduced to Ms. Lovegood", she prompted, "but who would you all be then?"

"Draco Malfoy, Sir", Malfoy answered, still staring at the man beside him with a enamoured look on his face.

The adults threw him uneasy looks.

"A Norman?" Godric Gryffindor asked gruffly.

"It wis bound tae happen at some point", commented Rowena Ravenclaw, clearly unimpressed.

Noticing that something was clearly wrong, Malfoy looked around at their faces. Harry felt vaguely reassured that he was not the only one without any idea what was going on. The silence stretched unpleasantly. Finally, Harry couldn't stand it any more.

"I'm Harry Potter", he introduced himself. This garnered no reaction from the adults around him. Somehow, Harry found this a better proof of their actual identities than everything else he had heard until then. He had never before met a grown-up wizard or witch who did not try to see the scar on his forehead or at least recognize his name.

"Neville Longbottom", Neville mumbled, while busily staring at the table.

Harry's eyes snapped over to the blond wizard when he noticed his beard twitch in reaction to Neville's name, and he saw the man exchange an amused look with the ginger haired plump witch. Neither said anything though.

"And ye all are students at Hogwarts", Godric Gryffindor stated.

"Yes, Sir", Harry felt prompted to add. "Neville and I are in Gryffindor, fourth year."

The man blinked down at him, before smiling brightly.

"Malfoy is in Slytherin, and..." Harry trailed off, having no idea what house the younger girl was in.

"Ravenclaw" Luna said, absent-mindedly flipping a page in the book she seemed to be reading upside down.

The plump witch guffawed. "See? Told you, we did. She's obviously a Ravenclaw."

The two men chuckled, while the dark haired woman huffed.

"Wit beyond measure is men's greatest treasure." Luna said.

The proclaimed Rowena Ravenclaw blinked at her in surprise, before her face smoothed out into a gentle smile. "How very true, ma dear."

Unsure of what to say to this strange exchange, Harry decided it might be best to simply stay quiet.

Salazar Slytherin clapped his hands once. "Alright. Now that we've observed the social niceties..." Harry saw Godric Gryffindor send a mock glare at the man sitting opposite him. "... less get back tew the point." The blond man folded his hands on the book in front of him, obviously mirroring the dark haired witch's position. "The Goblet of Fire."

"I know that one", the proclaimed Helga Hufflepuff frowned. She started digging through the veritable mountain of books on the table in front of her.

"How so?" The blonde man wondered.

"I'm certain I took a book by that name from the shelf. It must be 'ere somewhere."

"Excuse me, Professor Ravenclaw...", Neville said quietly, "but what is so important about the Goblet of Fire?"

"Never mind that!" Harry finally exploded. He stared around at the faces gazing back at him in surprise. Didn't anyone beside him notice how crazy this whole situation was? How could they just sit around the table making small-talk as if meeting the Founders of Hogwarts in the middle of the night was the most normal thing in the world? "What is going on here?!"

Harry concentrated his wide-eyed gaze on the man – Godric Gryffindor, right? – beside him. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

The man simply stared back at him, and Harry suddenly became aware of how impolite his outbreak had been. In a quieter voice he mumbled: "Are you really Godric Gryffindor?"

The man nodded at him silently, and Harry felt light-headed. It was a good thing he was sitting down already, he reflected.

"I understand this is a lot for all of you to take in", the dark haired witch said quietly, "but I assure you that we truly are who we say we are."

Harry felt like falling. This was real? Really real? Perhaps he was just asleep and dreaming? But no, his dreams were usually a lot more symbolic and disorganized. This felt too real to be a dream. There was a lump in his throat. Harry swallowed. Then, he took a deep breath, and noticed the looks the others were giving him. Hell, if Neville – no, if Malfoy could deal with this, than so could he.

"As to your other questions", the plump witch said without looking up, her hands still deep in the piles of books, "it all comes down to Rowena's newest project."

"Dun't it always?" Salazar Slytherin grumbled.

"There is nae reason why it shouldn't hae worked", Rowena Ravenclaw snapped back.

Harry saw the two male adults exchange a meaningful look, before Gryffindor turned his eyes to him. "Rowena had this idea about a spell that would allow instant travel from one place to another."

"One that doesn't include coughing your lungs out", Helga Hufflepuff added, still fully concentrated on the books in front of her.

"Quite so." Godric Gryffindor nodded. "But unfortunately, 'e seems to have backfired... spectacularly." He grimaced.

The dark haired witch was now obviously annoyed, and hid her face by skimming intently through the book in her hands, turning the pages with enough force to nearly rip them out.

Slytherin turned to Luna who was sitting serenely beside him, following the discussion with blank eyes. "Rowena dun't dew things by half", he whispered loud enough for the whole group to hear him, "her spellwork is masterful -" here he looked at the woman from the corner of his eyes, and Harry could see her smiling slightly, "- but when she mess up, she mess up big." he finished. Harry watched the woman's smile disappear like the flame of a blown out candle.

She slammed her book shut. Her face was flushed and her voice was icy when she answered. "The spell wis fine. Something interfered with it. And the only thing with enough power tae dae so, at the place we arrived in, wis the Goblet. Sae, how about we concentrate on finding information on it?"

Helga Hufflepuff looked up at her friend with an honest smile. "Relax. This is actually quite fun."

"True." Slytherin agreed. "It gives us the opportunity t' see Hogwarts in the future."

Harry thought, the man sounded indecently excited at the prospect of being stuck one thousand years into the future.

Beside him, Harry saw Gryffindor give a thoughtful nod. "It is very interesting", the man said pensively.

This seemed to annoy the dark haired witch even more. "Dae ye hae any idea how many problems we could create for the people in this time? Poking around in things beyond our ken?"

Gryffindor seemed to give this serious consideration, but the other two adults simply shrugged it off.

Harry tried to imagine some of the problems the woman seemed to be so afraid of, but failed. The only thing that stood out out in his mind was how advantageous it would be to have Godric Gryffindor on their side in the fight against Voldemort. And there would be a fight, he knew. Sooner or later, there would be another confrontation with him. And then, maybe, they would be able to get rid of the spirit completely – with Gryffindor's help.

But then, his gaze fell onto the other grown man sitting at the table, and he swallowed hard. Right, there were two sides to this coin. Gryffindor was not the only Founder to have come to Hogwarts, and while Harry was relatively certain that the two woman would help, he was equally certain that Slytherin would be formidable enemy. The man managed to build the Chamber of Secrets. He wasn't someone Harry should disregard easily.

His thoughts were interrupted by happy squeal followed by quite a few loud crashes. He jerked upright in surprise.

"Here it is! I know I 'ad taken it. See?"

The red haired woman showed a heavy book to the group, a wide cheerful smile on her round face. The title "The Goblet of Fire" was displayed in golden letters on the book's cover.

"How did ye manage tae pick up exactly that book?" Rowena Ravenclaw asked incredulously while she and Neville picked up the books that had fallen off the table when the red haired witch had dug through the pile.

The other woman just shrugged.

"We merely took every book that had to do with cups, goblets or similar magical artefacts", Godric Gryffindor added.

Rowena closed her eyes but then nodded. "Ah guess, it does make sense, if ye dinna ken what ye are looking for exactly."

Helga Hufflepuff hummed quietly while she skimmed through the book in her hands. "This doesn't look like a textbook at all, you know", she frowned. "More like a story."

"A story?" Luna asked interestedly. "About the Goblet of Fire?"

The plump witch nodded slowly. She seemed to read a few sentences before she answered. "And about Harry Potter."

"What?" Harry sat up startled. "That can't be!"

"Seriously, Potter?" Malfoy sneered.

Harry felt oddly relieved. Malfoy's attitude felt like a spot of normality in the general craziness of the situation. But he wasn't about to show his nemesis that, so instead he glared at the boy.

"There have been quite a few books written about you." Neville told Harry quietly. "Don't you know?"

Harry felt himself blush. Of course, he knew that he had been mentioned in a few books. He just made a point to never look inside those.

Godric blinked down at him, green eyes wide in surprise. "Really?" he asked. "Whyever would that be?"

Harry felt his blush grow worse. He shrugged, too embarrassed to speak.

"Because he's the bloody 'Boy who Lived'." Malfoy scoffed. "Why else?"

"Thass enough. Dew mind yar tongue, boy." Slytherin's tone was calm but it brooked no dissent.

Malfoy leaned back in his chair to glare at Harry silently.

"But I'd never even heard of the Goblet before today", Harry mumbled to no one in particular. "Why should there be a book about it and me?"

Neville shrugged helplessly.

"I'm not sure. It does seem to retell your school year and something called the Quidditch World Cup, though," Helga Hufflepuff said.

She was so concentrated on the book, she completely missed the startled looks the students gave her.

"But that was _this_ summer!" Harry exclaimed. "Are you saying that the book describes this school year? How can that be?"

"It might just be made up", Slytherin offered quietly.

Gryffindor nodded.

"Why don't we read a bit of it", Luna suggested. "And Harry can tell us if things have really happened like it is described. That way we'll know how accurate the book is."

"That is a very good idea, my dear." Helga Hufflepuff smiled at her.

"Yes, why not." Harry watched as Slytherin pushed the heavy book that had been put in front of him back into the pile on the table. There was an obvious look of relief on his face.

"Is that alright with thee, Luv?"

Harry's head snapped around. He blinked surprised up at Gryffindor. For some reason, it seemed strange to him that the man would even ask for his opinion. And had he really just referred to him as "love"? Harry looked over the table at Luna who stared back at him with empty eyes. Maybe he had imagined it.

He shrugged. "Sure." It might actually be fun to relive the World Cup, he thought.

"Splendid." Gryffindor clapped his hands before leaning back in his chair and looking expectantly at Mrs Hufflepuff.

Obviously not interested in the idea at all, Rowena Ravenclaw sighed audibly and demonstratively concentrated on the book in her own hands. "Dinna mind me then."

The plump witch smiled at her friend before letting her gaze wander over the others at the table. "I'll just start reading from the beginning, shall I?"

She opened the book and began to read:

"**The Riddle House"**

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_/please read and review :-)_


	3. The Riddle House

_A/N:_

_As you have probably noticed, even though the characters read a chapter from the "Goblet of Fire" book, I have no direct quotes from that chapter in here. And it is going to stay that way. _ _Actually, I am fairly certain that this is probably the last time that the characters will comment on a whole chapter. From now on things will go a lot faster. I.e. there will only be extracts read or things discussed after the reading has been done. _ _That said, I will continue to name the chapters of this fic that refer to those of the book with the titles of the book chapters. That way everyone should know what the characters are talking about, or which part of the book to reread. I hope this works for everyone. :-)_

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**Chapter 02 – The Riddle House**

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_Helga smiled at her friend before letting her gaze wander over the others at the table. "I'll just start reading from the beginning, shall I?"_

_She opened the book and began to read:_

"_**The Riddle House"**_

.

Harry perked up. _Riddle_ as in _Tom Riddle_? He found that hard to believe and yet… and yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he might learn something of importance in this chapter.

"It sounds as if it has been uninhabited for quite some time", Gryffindor commented, listening attentively to the houses description his friend read out.

Hufflepuff interrupted herself, nodding. "A lovely place, it is. All it's missing is the ghosts."

"Why?" Luna Lovegood asked.

"The description makes it sound like a haunted house. Damp. Derelict. Unoccupied. The ghosts is all it's missing."

Luna pondered this for a moment, before she shrugged. "I think it sounds interesting."

"Interesting? They say something strange and horrible has happened there." Gryffindor pointed out incredulously.

"O' course, it did." Slytherin sighed.

The students stared at him.

"What's a proper haunted house without it's stories about curses an' murders an' general horrible things?" he added shrugging.

Privately, Harry agreed that this did indeed sound like a classical haunted house. And yet… And yet, it seemed to remind him of something he had forgotten. Like an itch in the far recesses of his memory.

Just as Helga Hufflepuff made to read about what had occurred in the Riddle house so long ago, Slytherin groaned out: "Oh no, they're goin' tew tell it, right?"

The plump woman smirked at him over the top of the book.

"Kin we skip it?" the blonde founder begged.

Hufflepuff shook her head; her ginger locks bounced cheerfully.

"I'd like to hear the story", Luna added. She looked at Slytherin with a small frown.

"Not to worry, luv", Gryffindor assured her, while throwing a meaningful look at Slytherin. "Nothing will be skipped."

Luna looked reassured at that, if still a bit curious.

"Salazar just doesn't like ghost stories much", Hufflepuff snickered.

The founder in question glared at her, but Harry thought it was distinctly lacking in force.

Rowena Ravenclaw let out a snort, but kept her gaze firmly on the book in her own hands.

With a grin, the Hufflepuff founder started reading again, while Slytherin leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest defensively. Harry heard him mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like: "Murder, mystery, mayhem. An' afterwards they all turned inta ghosts, o' course."

.

After listening to the events that had taken place in Little Hangleton so many years in the past, Helga Hufflepuff put the book down with a thoughtful look on her face. "You might have been right about the curses and the murders, Salazar."

Gryffindor frowned. "The family might well have been poisoned. What makes thou think it was a curse instead?"

Hufflepuff shrugged. "It's a book about magical things, isn't it? It seems likely that it was a magical curse that killed those people."

"In that case, let us hope that Salazar's third prediction does not come true."

The plump witch stared at Gryffindor for a moment. "Oh, you mean the 'generally horrible things'?" She frowned. "I don't think so. Those deaths are already horrible enough."

Slytherin gave her an incredulous look, but abstained from saying anything. Which was just as well, Harry thought, because he too had the feeling that the 'generally horrible things' were yet to come.

"And what in heavens does Police mean?" Gryffindor asked no one in particular.

Harry sighed. "Muggle Aurors."

hufflepuff looked at him clueless. "Muggles? Aurors?"

Harry stared blankly back, unsure if she was playing a joke on him. But one look at the other adults showed him equally baffled expression on all of their faces. He suddenly felt light-headed.

"Muggles are non-magical people", Malfoy explained, and seemed to swallow a less favourable description.

"Aurors work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement", Neville added quietly, "they investigate crimes related to the Dark Arts."

"So", Slytherin frowned, "suffin like a night Watch?"

Harry was confused. But Luna nodded brightly. "The Aurors are much better organized and work their jobs full time", she explained, "but it's similar."

Slytherin accepted that with a nod.

"Department of Magical Law Enforcement?" Gryffindor asked.

"It's part of the Ministry", Neville said.

The broad-shouldered man stared at him.

"The Ministry of Magic?"

Further silence answered him.

Neville looked at Harry, uncertain what else to say. Harry shrugged helplessly.

"It's the Wizarding Worlds government." Malfoy added.

"Alright", Slytherin drawled out.

He exchanged a troubled look with the other adults.

"We seem tae be more out of touch with yer world then we had previously thought", Ravenclaw said looking up from her book.

"Ye mean there exists a completely magical government?" Gryffindor asked aghast.

The students nodded perplexed. "And exclusively wizards be working there?"

"Yes, of course." Malfoy frowned.

"And this magical government is somehow apart from the -" Gryffindor swallowed "- muggles?" The term sounded strange coming from his mouth.

Harry nodded.

"What about the king?" Godric Gryffindor seemed shocked to his core.

Harry began to feel bad for him. "The muggles still have one. Or at least a queen."

He had vivid memories of Aunt Petunia browsing the Daily Mail for new royal gossip every day just before tea.

"Elizabeth II, I think."

"Ye think?!"

"Godric." Helga Hufflepuff put a calming hand on his arm. "It's obvious that we are a bit out of touch with political affairs right now-"

"Understatement", Slytherin mumbled.

The witch frowned. "- but getting upset at the students won't help. We'll just have to find information from a reliable source."

"The history books in the library will be a fair good start." Ravenclaw added.

Gryffindor sank down in his chair, put his head into his hands and groaned.

"Please, Rowena", Slytherin shook his head at her, "dunt help."

After a minutes of tense silence, Gryffindor pulled himself together.

"Let us keep reading for now."

"Are you sure?" Hufflepuff asked concerned.

He shrugged.

"Rowena is right, luv. We need to start somewhere. Why not start with the one book we be reading already?"

She accepted his decision with a nod and picked the book back up.

.

But she did not get very far. As soon as she repeated the villagers' gossip about the police' investigations, Gryffindor leaned forward in his seat.

"Oh! Juicy!" He chuckled, his previous agitation all but forgotten.

The other adults shook their heads at him fondly.

"Of course, it was the gardener." Luna said.

When she noticed the others' questioning looks she went on to explain: "It's always the gardener." Then, she thought for a moment. "Or the butler."

"Huh?" Slytherin wondered. "Really?"

Luna nodded serenely.

"And what war are they speaking aboot?" Ravenclaw looked up from her book. Harry noticed that she hadn't turned the page once since the last interruption.

Malfoy frowned. "The one against Grindlewald, I think."

Harry shook his head. "Frank is a muggle."

Malfoy blushed.

"It was probably the second World War", Luna said dreamily. "The muggles fought it at the same time, the wizards fought Grindlewald."

She smiled at Malfoy who looked at her uncertainly. Then, he accepted her statement with a curt nod.

"World War?" Slytherin asked, his eyes wide.

"There was more than one?" Hufflepuff exclaimed.

Harry remembered from muggle school. "Both occurred shortly after each other at the beginning of this century. And both started off on the continent, when Germany invaded neighbouring countries."

The adults exchanged anxious looks.

Rowena Ravenclaw, whose self-control had been thoroughly tested over the least minutes, finally gave in to curiosity, closed the book she had been skimming through and focused her attention on the people around her.

"We really need tae read up on all these historical events we have missed." She said quietly.

Her friends nodded.

"Most of the development took place in the last two or three centuries, though." Luna added brightly. "You'll probably not find that much for earlier centuries."

Slytherin pondered this. "Thass oddly reassuring."

"So", Gryffindor snapped, "they just sit there to pass around rumours about the war invalid, who gave his health and limb protecting the crown; Is that right?" He shook his head.

Harry exchanged a stumped look with Neville.

"Sir?" Neville ventured.

The founder sighed and rubbed his hands tiredly over his face.

"The Aftermath of war is never easy, boys." Gryffindor's face showed a deep understanding that awed Harry. "Everyone needs their time to come to terms with it. Some need longer than others, like this man did. Ye need to respect that. He should get the appreciation he deserves not the ridicule of the people he tried to protect."

He send a stern look at the students and Harry felt himself nodding instinctively.

"Still, the whole situation does not look good for him." Neville offered quietly.

"But if it was a curse that killed the Riddles, he couldn't have been responsible for it." Hufflepuff reminded him before turning back to the book for another few paragraphs until yet another word provoked an interruption.

.

"Hang about!" Gryffindor exclaimed.

"Teenage?" Ravenclaw asked the student next to her, who just so happened to be Neville.

"Uhm…" Neville pointed around at Harry and the others. "Well, we are teenagers."

"All the students are teenagers." Malfoy sneered at him.

Neville blushed.

"Sae, it's merely an age description?" The witch clarified.

Neville nodded.

"From which age tae which?"

"I… I don't know", Neville stuttered. "Student age."

"From starting school at eleven, to age seventeen", Luna said. "That's when we come of age."  
Rowena Ravenclaw thanked her with a nod.

"Seventeen?" Slytherin asked Luna interestedly. "Thass wholly late. So, afore that yew're considered …what? Children?"

Luna nodded.

"So many things to get used to", Gryffindor sighed.

"It does seem a bit ludicrous", Hufflepuff admitted.

"Why?" Harry wondered. "When would you consider someone to be grown up?"

"Around thy age, I guess." Gryffindor told him.

The other adults nodded.

"Around their fourteenth year", Ravenclaw clarified.

Harry stared at them. That… would actually be pretty nice, he reflected. To finally be taken seriously by adults around him.

"So, the murderer wuz a boy around yar age?" Slytherin frowned.

_Tom Riddle_, Harry thought. _Junior? Is that possible?_ It seemed too easy somehow.

Godric Gryffindor nodded.

"If it really was a curse that killed those people", Gryffindor sighed "and it does indeed sound as if it was, then that means the boy was a wizard."

Harry looked at him questioningly, and the founder added: "I had hoped he would not be. It never bears well when magic is used to kill; especially if the person killed is not a wizard themselves."

Harry nodded. He had heard enough about the witch hunts to know that the auburn haired man had a good point.

"And why can those people not leave the poor man alone?"

It took Harry a moment to understand that Gryffindor's thoughts had jumped back to the gardener. Frank, or whatever his name was.

"Where else would he go, if that place is all he has? Of course, he went back there."

Hufflepuff shot him a concerned look. "Godric."

Gryffindor crossed his arms over his chest. "I apologize", he said, "I just feel… they should not talk about a combat veteran like this. He fought for the crown. For their country. Ultimately, he fought for them. He deserves recognition for that."

Harry wondered if the others felt the same lump in their throat that he felt.

"We know, Godric. We know." Hufflepuff send him an encouraging smile.

Harry, though, watched Gryffindor withdraw into himself. The founder closed his eyes and lowered his head. Only the tightness around his eyes hinted at the man's growing irritation. Personally, Harry found this quiet seething anger a lot scarier than open rage.

"On the bright side, though", Slytherin leant forward, resting his elbows on the table. "the ghost story's did with, yes?"

Harry saw the mouths of the other adults twitch suspiciously. They obviously tried very hard not to laugh at their friend's antics. Harry himself felt faintly amused, too. Luckily, it was Luna Lovegood again who voiced what he was thinking.

"Are you afraid of ghosts?"

Slytherin shook his head at her energetically. "O' course not." He shuddered. "It's only ghost stories I kin't stand."

Luna looked confused, and Harry knew he mirrored her expression on his own face.

"Thass a long story, alright?" The blond man waved his hand dismissively and Hufflepuff turned back to the book, sparing her friend any more explanations.

As she continued to read about the pranks the local children played on the Riddle's gardener, Harry peeked at the auburn haired founder next to himself. He was just in time to see an expression of righteous outrage flash across the man's face, before it dimmed down into a more general frown of disappointment. He knew then and there that he would advise the twins to stop playing pranks on Filch for now.

"Godric…" Hufflepuff hesitated.

Gryffindor shook his head. "Boys will be boys."

The other grown-ups sighed relieved.

"But one wonders, how much of their behaviour they are copying from their parents…"

Harry saw that Malfoy was itching to say something. But the Slytherin student obviously thought better of it and kept his mouth shut.

.

And then, something changed in the chapter. Suddenly, the Hufflepuff founder was not reading about events long past but about something that must have occurred very recently. Harry could not suppress a shudder at the feelings of gloom that settled in his stomach.

.

"What is going on there?" Slytherin asked.

Hufflepuff send him an amused glance over the top of the book. "Another ghost story that he lives through." She suggested with an impish smile.

Harry watched a faint shudder running through Slytherin's lanky frame.  
"Seriously", Ravenclaw turned to the blond founder. "ye need tae get over that some time."

Slytherin rolled his eyes at her, but was again spared having to answer by Hufflepuff interjecting:

"It's just the children playing pranks again. See?"

She read a few lines more before interrupting herself again.

"Oh, boy" Hufflepuff groaned.

Gryffindor frowned. "They started fire in the house? Seriously? That is far more than a prank."

Ravenclaw nodded. "People are fairly likely tae get hurt that way. They really should ken better."

"If it is the boys again", Slytherin added pensively.

"It's not a ghost, Sal." this time Hufflepuff rolled her eyes.

The blond founder bristled. "I dint say it was."

"But you thought it." The plump woman countered.

"Never."

"I know you."

They stopped when their two friends sniggered openly.

Slytherin leaned back, his arms crossed on his chest again.  
Harry watched the amusement on all their faces. He would never have thought it possible, but he even he saw a small smile on Malfoy's face at the Slytherin founders expense, that the student hid away rapidly.

Only Luna Lovegood turned towards the defensive founder and placed her hand on his arm.  
"I don't think it's the boys either", she confided to him.

Surprisingly, that seemed to mollify him a great deal. Harry watched him send a bright smile at her.

"Thank yew, my dear."

Hufflepuff shook her head fondly and turned back to the book.

.

And, of course, that was when the next word came up that derailed all hope of reading through the chapter uninterrupted.

"No what? Telephone?"

Harry wondered why no one had ever written a wizarding dictionary on muggle terms. But, perhaps, he amended, they had and he just didn't knew about it. Then, he noticed that this time the question had not come from Gryffindor but Slytherin, instead. He caught himself.

How was he supposed to describe a telephone to the founder without it becoming an hour long discussion?

"It's like a muggle version of a floo call." He tried.

The adults stared at him in confusion.

"What's a floo call?"

Harry stared perplexed at the dark haired woman. Then, it registered that she meant the question seriously. Rowena Ravenclaw truly had no idea what a flu call was. Harry felt a hysterical giggle rise in his throat.

Thankfully, Luna proved her worth as a Ravenclaw again and saved him from trying to come up with an answer.  
"The Floo Network connects most wizarding households and buildings with each other. It works by throwing a handful of Floo Powder into a fireplace. Then you step in and say where you want to come out."

She stopped to make sure she had everyone's attention, before continuing: "A Floo call works just the same, only you merely stick your head into the flames. Your head then appears in the other fireplace and you can speak to someone who's sitting in front of it."

The adults' faces showed an unexpected mixture of awe, bewilderment and alarm.

"When did that came up?" Ravenclaw asked Luna, shaking her head in wonder.

"A witch named Ignatia Wildsmith invented it in the 13th century."

"We use something similar", Ravenclaw acknowledged pensively. "Although, we dinna use fire tae burn the powder up."

Hufflepuff snorted in a very unfeminine manner. "It might make the whole breathing it in thing easier, though."

"True", Gryffindor said, shuddering slightly.

"So, you just, what? Breathe the powder in as it is?" To Harry's dismay, Malfoy seemed to have found his voice again. His face showed exactly what he thought about that idea.

Gryffindor nodded at him. "Yes."

"And tastes worse than you imagine right now, it does." Hufflepuff grimaced.

Malfoy looked vaguely ill. So did Neville. And Harry was ready to bet that he himself was also paler than usual.

"An' the telephone thing?" Slytherin asked, changing the topic to something more pleasant.

"You just lift up the handset, dial a number and then it connects you to the person that number belongs to." Harry explained in a rush. He held not illusions that the founder would understand, though. "And then you speak into the handset, and the person at the other end of the line can hear you and answer in the same way."

Slytherin pondered this for a moment.

"That sounds by far safer", he finally decided.

Harry gaped at him.

"But, Sir!" Malfoy protested.

Slytherin shrugged at him. "Well, it do."

"Should we read on?" Luna asked quietly around a yawn.

"Yes, we should," Ravenclaw nodded. "Otherwise we winna finish this chapter the day."

.

Hufflepuff started reading about Frank, the muggle gardener, leaving for the Riddle's house, ostensibly to chase away the boys he thought were hiding in the old building, when Neville leaned forward and mumbled:

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Harry nodded. Something was nagging at him in the back of his mind, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

"That does not sound as if children broke in", Gryffindor acknowledged reluctantly.

And Harry watched a complacent smile settle on Slytherin's features. Eerily, Luna sitting beside him exuded the exact same expression.

Listening to the tale spreading out before him, Harry felt the hairs on his neck standing on end. He had no idea why, but somehow he knew this wasn't going to end well for the muggle. It was as if he was re-hearing a story, whose end he had already heard once before, but that he couldn't remember in detail.

Judging by their expressions, the others felt much the same ill at ease.

Then, the first words of the two men in the Riddle's room fell, and Harry felt the ground under his feet lurch. It was a good thing he was sitting down.

"It's definitely not the children." Gryffindor stated. He seemed relieved about that, while at the same time worried about other possible intruders.

Harry couldn't help but agree with his worry.

"It's Voldemort", he said, his statement ringing through the room.

He was aware of the other students flinching away at the name and staring at him with wide-eyes.

"How do you know?" Neville whispered.

Harry shrugged. "Just do." he said. He wasn't going to point out how familiar this whole story seemed to him so far. And he certainly was not going to contemplate why he knew without a doubt that the man inside that room was You-know-who.

"Voldemort?" Ravenclaw sniffed.

"Who is that?" Hufflepuff asked, watching the students repeatedly flinch at the name wearily.

Neville was the first to break the silence. "Don't say his name!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "It's just a name, Neville." he said tiredly.

"You obviously have no sense at all, Potter", Malfoy sneered.

"There is no point in being afraid of a name."

"Until the Dark Lord drives the point home?"

Neville nodded, and looked surprised at finding himself agreeing with Malfoy of all people. But he plunged on nonetheless. "I don't understand why you, of all people, keep calling You-know-who that?"

Harry sighed. It was an old argument that he had grown tired off ages ago.

"Dark Lord."

Hearing the term spelled out again, Harry became aware of the confused looks the adults were exchanging.

Turning to Luna, Slytherin made a complicated gesture with his hands that seemed to indicate a question for more information. "Voldemort?"

From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Neville and Malfoy flinch again. To his surprise, Luna took the name in stride. Harry's opinion of the younger Ravenclaw student immediately rose considerably.

Luna threw him a questioning look, to which Harry shrugged in answer.

The adults looked watched their silent exchange, before concentrating back on Luna.

"He is a dark wizard -" she said.

"The most evil Dark Lord of all times", Neville interjected.

Ravenclaw raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.

"He and his followers did many horrible things. Then, years ago, he disappeared and a lot of people thought he was gone for good. But some thought he was still around." She shrugged, obviously at a loss at what else to say.

Harry felt pity for her. Summoning Voldemort up in as few words as possible seemed nearly impossible to him. Even Hagrid's attempt, back when they had first met, had failed to convey the horror the evil wizard's sheer existence struck into people's hearts.

Luna's explanation failed to do so, too.

"What kind of horrible things?" Gryffindor inquired.

Luna shifted in her chair. Her eyes flickering to Harry, as if silently asking him for help.

Harry sighed.

"He killed my parents."

And just like that, he was the focus of everyone in the room.

"And a whole lot of other people, too."

It was obvious that they wanted to ask more, but Harry didn't feel ready to delve into that.

"Can we please read on?" he asked. "there are dozens of books in the library where you can read up on Voldemort -" Neville and Malfoy flinched again "- and everything he's done."

Helga Hufflepuff looked at him sharply, but to his relief she conceded with a nod and picked up the book again to continue reading.

.

Harry ground his teeth at the mention of Wormtail.

He felt the others watching him with curious expressions, and consciously tried to calm down. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he unclenched his fists and forced a smile. It was very difficult. Thankfully, no one called him on it, though.

Still, Gryffindor kept watching him curiously, but Harry had no intention of saying anything. So, he mutely shook his head, and hoped that it would deter the man from asking too overt questions.

It seemed to work, as the founder gave him a curt nod and returned his focus to Mrs Hufflepuff reading the book.

"He should get out of there." Gryffindor frowned, as Helga Hufflepuff continued reading the about the muggle's continued eavesdropping. "He's in no shape to defend himself against two wizards should they notice him."

Harry agreed, but deep inside he knew the man would not leave.

To him the whole story had taken on the unpleasant feeling of deja-vu.

"And do I even want to ask what the '_Quidditch World Cup_' is?" Godric Gryffindor sounded faintly annoyed.

"The Quidditch World Cup is the greatest sporting event in the world", Malfoy exclaimed scandalized that the man would not know.

But Harry could see in all the adults faces that this explanation had not been helpful at all.

"You should get 'Quidditch through the Ages' from the library. It explains everything about it." He sighed, not really feeling up to explaining the whole game to the founder right then.

Slytherin opened his mouth, but Ravenclaw interrupted before he could utter a tone.

"Salazar. It's getting real late. Let's finish this up fast. We can always find the information later."

The blond founder nodded, but it was evident that he was not happy with this at all.

.

The further Helga Hufflepuff read, the more the story developed, the more Harry's feeling of deja-vu intensified.

He felt he knew where this was going. But whenever he tried to drag the memory into the conscious parts of his mind, it shied away from him.

"Well, if he realized that he's dealing with criminals", his musings were interrupted, "he should go and alert the watch."

"Police"

Gryffindor stared at Slytherin. "What?"

The blond founder waved his hands as if to illustrate a complicated concept. "The watch. They call it Police. That wuz already said."

Godric Gryffindor sighed. "Right. Whatever."

"Especially since that Voldemort, whoever he is, seems tae act half-way sensible", Ravenclaw added.

Harry stared at her aghast.

She shrugged. "If this Voldemort truly is such a wanted man as ye make him out tae be it would be the peak of stupidity fer him tae act publicly under these circumstances. Which means that he winna be noticed unless someone reports him tae the watch."

"Police." Slytherin threw in again.

Hufflepuff ignored him. "That Wormtail man truly is a fool, if he's thinking of acting when so many people could notice them."

"Maybe he want tew be caught", Slytherin proposed.

Gryffindor snorted. "Then he is not only a fool but also a turncoat."

Harry stifled a snigger, knowing that the man had no idea how right he was.

Neville though, was busy thinking about something else. "Harry?" he asked quietly. "What does he mean that 'it could be done without you'?"

Harry shrugged.

"I don't know. What ever he's planning to do, I guess."

He looked at the worried faces around him.

"It's all right", he said resigned. Honestly, with the last year having been suspiciously Voldemort free, Harry felt he was long overdue another confrontation. He just wondered what it might include this time.

"It is not alright!"

He turned around and stared wide-eyed at the outraged founder beside him.

Helga Hufflepuff certainly did not look like a pushover right then. Actually, she bore such an uncanny resemblance to an enraged Mrs. Weasley, that Harry inched away from her with his chair.

"Why would that man even plan something involving you?"

"That's what he does", Harry answered at a loss at what else to say.

"That is not an acceptable answer, luv." Gryffindor sounded serious but not half as indignant as the ginger haired witch.

"Seriously, it'd be easier if you read up on it -"

"Harry is the reason You-know-who disappeared all those years ago." Neville answered for him.

"How?" Hufflepuff demanded.

"I don't know, okay?" Harry groused. "He came to my house, killed my parents, but when he tried to kill me, his curse backfired and he fled! Can we just keep reading, now?"

An awkward silence filled the room following his words.

Harry peeked up at the Hufflepuff founder who was chewing on her lips and seemed to weight if she wanted to keep the argument going, or not.

"Let it go, Helga." Slytherin advised.

"But…"

"Salazar is right", Ravenclaw intervened. "Let it go for now."

Helga Hufflepuff exhaled resentfully, but nodded before she lifted the book back up with a violent jerk. She continued reading with an incensed expression – only to interrupt herself again just a few lines later.

"That despicable man", she snarled, "How dare he suggest sacrificing another person just like that?"

"Yew'd rather he take Harry then?" Slytherin smiled.

"Shut up, Sally." Hufflepuff hissed at the same time that Gryffindor rebuked: "Salazar!"

Harry saw the blond founder's lips twitch as Hufflepuff turned back to the book with a huff, her temper noticeably cooled down.

.

Listening to Wormtail trying to talk himself out of nursing Voldemort, Harry felt a strange mixture of disgust, contempt and satisfaction at the traitor's deserved unhappiness.

"He truly is a traitor, isn't he?" Gryffindor shook his head.

"And a fraidy cat to boot", Hufflepuff scowled. "Honestly, what did he think would happen? That this Voldemort would just let him walk away?"

"And what is up with this so called Dark Lord of yours?" Ravenclaw wondered. "How would he need tae be fed every few hours? And how is it sae important tae milk this Nagini?"

"What is Nagini anyway?" Slytherin added. "A goat? A snake?"

"A snake?" Hufflepuff asked him.

"You could milk it fur it's poison."

Hufflepuff made a disgusted face. "That's gross, that is. Why would anyone drink snake poison?"

Slytherin shrugged.

Privately though, Harry thought that if he had to choose one person whom he would think capable of doing that, Voldemort would definitely be at the top of his list.

"It could be a cow", Hufflepuff added.

Ravenclaw glared at her. "Dinna be preposterous."

"We would not have to guess, if thou would keep reading", Gryffindor pointed out.  
Listening to Hufflepuff reading further about Voldemort's argument with Wormtail, Harry could not stop himself from commenting: "He does sound quite ill, doesn't he?"

Luna Lovegood nodded and Harry saw Malfoy frown in thought at the book in the ginger founders hands.

"I wonder what happened t' him." Slytherin cocked his head. "If he's still feelin' queer after such a sight of years…"

Ravenclaw nodded along with him. "It must have been a horrifying injury that he suffered."

"And why", Gryffindor asked, "is he so adamant about using Mr. Potter for whatever it is that he has planned?"

He considered Harry with a piercing look.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. He's always been obsessed with me."

"You have no idea why, have you?" Hufflepuff sounded incredulous.

"No", Harry said. I would if the headmaster had just answered my question back when I first asked, he thought bitterly.

"That's certainly something tae find out", Ravenclaw stated pensively.

"What bothers me", Hufflepuff added, "is how casually they are speaking about that woman they killed."

Gryffindor nodded. "Bertha Jorkins." He looked intently at the students. "Does anyone of you know that name? Or the woman herself?"

Harry shook his head. Even though the name sounded vaguely familiar to him, he was at the same time absolutely certain that he had never met the woman.

"I think she works in the Ministry", Malfoy offered quietly. Harry and the others stared at him, and he added sullenly: "My mother mentioned the name once. She wasn't impressed with the woman."

"They knew each other?" Slytherin enquired.

Malfoy sat up a bit straighter in his chair.

"Yes, sir. I believe they were at school together."

"What wuz she doing alone in a wayside Inn?" Slytherin asked.

Malfoy shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know, Sir?" It was obviously difficult for him to admit.

"She gave him 'invaluable information'." Ravenclaw seemed to think out loud. "Judging from the description, she was tortured for it. What information could that have been?"

Malfoy shrugged again.

"What part of the Ministry did she work in? Do you know that?" Hufflepuff asked him.

"The Department of Magical Games and Sports, I think."

"That makes no sense whatsoever," Gryffindor groaned.

Luna Lovegood had a thoughtful look on her face, though. "It might have something to do with the Quidditch World Cup."

Neville nodded enthusiastically.

"No", Harry said. He thought back to the events of the World Cup. "I don't think that's what he was planning."

"But, Harry", Neville threw a furtive look at Malfoy, "there were Death Eaters there, right? It said so in the newspaper."

"Death Eaters?" Slytherin wrinkled his nose.

"You-know-who's followers", Luna told him.

"That… is an outstanding stupid name fur a group o' people."

Malfoy stared up at the blond founder, a look of outrage clear on his face.

"Who would want t' be called that?" Slytherin went on.

Hufflepuff shook her head. "Someone following a man named Voldemort." She snorted. "Anyone else see the theme here?"

"Never mind that", Ravenclaw interrupted. "How do you think that the events at that -" she waved her hands around as if trying to fish the concept out of thin air "- World Cup are what he was planning?"

Harry frowned in thought. How could he put the feeling he had in his stomach into words?

"Well, for one, no one died. And then, there was nothing to be gained for him, right?"

The adults nodded at him, and he felt encouraged enough to go on.

"And when someone casted their sign into the sky the Death Eaters fled."

brought the founders up short.

"They fled when they saw their own sign?" Gryffindor checked.

Harry nodded.

"And this sign is some kind of symbol of recognition for them?"

time Luna, Neville and Malfoy nodded.

The founders exchanged thoughtful looks.

"That is very interesting", Ravenclaw muttered. Then she went on, deep in thought: "Another thing tae think aboot is, whom dis he mean by 'his faithful servant'?"

Hufflepuff snorted. "Not the Wormtail guy, that's for sure."

She exchanged a look with Slytherin and both stifled sniggers with difficulty.

"Yes", Gryffindor sounded pensive, "but that would mean that there is some other, more loyal, servant of him at Hogwarts." He pulled the fingers of his hand through his full beard.

"That is a worrying thought", Ravenclaw agreed.

The other two founders sobered up immediately.

Hufflepuff turned back to the book with a quietly reserved look on her face.  
She did not get very far, for when she read about Frank's encounter with the snake Nagini she was rudely interrupted again.

"Wait, what?" Slytherin yelped. "He kin talk t' snakes?"

The blond founder was grinning broadly. "Thass great! So kin I, yew know?" He turned to Luna, who nodded at him. "I wuz afraid the gift mighta be lost over time."

Ravenclaw nodded. "It has happened before", she explained to the students around the table. "A specific talent might occur in a bairn, but then it would disappear again completely. Such a waste that is."

"I don't understand", Neville frowned.

"It's simple, really", Hufflepuff explained patiently. "Salazar here can speak to snakes. Born with that talent, he was. But it might just as easily disappear with him when he dies. There's no guarantee that it will be passed on through the ages."

"But", Harry said, "he would pass it on to his descendants, right?" He threw the blond founder a scathing look. Couldn't the others see the relationship between the man and Voldemort by now?

"Not necessarily, no."

Harry blinked surprised at Slytherin.

"None o' me children inherited that specific talent." He trailed of before adding: "Well, I aren't quite sure about Selwyn, yit."

"His sisters haen't shown the gift though, so chances are he winna either." Ravenclaw added pointedly to which Slytherin dropped his head with a sigh.

"That said", the stern looking witch went on, "Salazar isnae the only Parseltongue in the land -"

"He isn't?" Malfoy interrupted frowning.

"Nae, Mr. Malfoy", Ravenclaw went on, "we dae no actually ken where the first serpent tongues originated fae, but the gift has arisen off and on in different people all over the islands for centuries noo."

To Harry this was very interesting. Luna's attention, however, seemed to have been grabbed by a different fact.

"You have children?"

Slytherin nodded. "Three. Thorve, Willa an' Selwyn."

Harry wondered how to pronounce the first one without tying his tongue into a knot, when Hufflepuff added: "We all have children."

"Really?" Luna's tired eyes shone in excitement.

Hufflepuff nodded smiling.

But before she could go on at length, Gryffindor cleared his throat audibly. "Could we possibly finish reading soon? It is getting awfully late."

"You mean early", Luna yawned.

"Early comes after the sleep", the adults recited simultaneously. Then they grinned at each other, Ravenclaw smiling somewhat abashedly.

Luna yawned again, and Harry felt himself mirroring her. It was getting late.

Hufflepuff glanced at them, before lifting the book up again.

"Yes", she said, "Let's finish this up."

.

She read about the muggle speaking with Voldemort and while the others all listened with morbid fascination to the man's ultimate death, Harry couldn't shake the pressing feeling of having heard all this before. When the chapter had ended Hufflepuff closed the book and set it down with a thoughtful expression on her face.

.

Everyone turned to Harry, who looked ponderously at the table's rough surface.

"You know", he finally nodded, "I think, I remember that. Although, I thought it was just a dream. I'd nearly forgotten…" he trailed of mumbling.

"So", Gryffindor prompted. "The book be telling the truth? It was a dream thou had?"

Harry snapped his gaze to the man beside him. "Yes." He answered. Now that he said it, he suddenly felt certain. "Yes. I dreamt it exactly like that." And how could he have forgotten? He could hardly believe himself. He should have remembered something this important.

"I guess the book really does tell about this school year, then. And about the immediate future, too." Hufflepuff stated.

Harry stared at the book in her hands with a feeling of dread.

"Well", Gryffindor broke the stretching silence by dropping both of his hands onto the table with a decisive thump. "It's too late to worry about that, in any case. Now, ye all return to your dormitories. We can contemplate this oddity later."

He stood up, stretched his shoulders and motioned Harry and Neville to join him.

"Come along. I shall escort ye back."

The other adults mirrored him.

"Sir?" Luna asked Gryffindor tiredly.

"Yes, luv?"

"Where will you stay?"

The auburn haired founder tilted his head. "Probably in some guest quarters. There should be quite a few around the castle."

"The house elves will find something." Hufflepuff added.

"But you'll stay here?" Harry asked, a note of desperation in his voice.

"It seems we hae no choice for noo", Ravenclaw huffed, clearly unhappy at the idea.

"Don't you worry. I'm certain we'll be around for a while." Hufflepuff agreed. Harry saw her and Slytherin exchange an excited grin behind Ravenclaw's back.

"Come along, now!" Gryffindor ordered, and soon Harry found himself trudging along beside the founder back to the Gryffindor dormitories.

.

_Next Chapter: Covert Enquiries_


End file.
